Croatian President Zoran Milanovic won re-election for another five-year term on Sunday, almost complete official results showed.
After more than 99% of the ballots were counted, Milanovic, nominated by the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), was projected to win 74% of the vote.
Dragan Primorac, the candidate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), received about 26% of the vote.
Croatia held a runoff vote between the two contenders on Sunday after the first round of voting on December 29.
Who is Zoran Milanovic?
Milanovic was elected president for the first time in 2020. He previously served as Prime Minister from late 2011 to early 2016.
A stalwart of the leftist SDP, he has been a staunch critic of current Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic from the conservative HDZ and they have frequently argued with each other.
In recent years, he has shifted towards more populist rhetoric in attacks on the European Union as well as local authorities.
This has helped him appeal not only to his leftist base, but also to right-wing and far-right voters.
“Croatia, thank you,” Milanovic told his supporters after the results were released.
“It’s a big day for me personally and I see this win as recognition for my work, the faith people have in me,” he said.
The Croatian Head of State cannot veto laws, but has authority over foreign policy, defense and security matters.
zc/lo (AFP, Reuters, AP, dpa)
